Minor second Inc. & Asya Dragoon
«This video is a symbiosis of music and abstract art. It is a journey through organic chemistry, where a cycloaddition reaction transforms into abstract visuals, set to high-quality progressive metal.»
| Cycloaddition is a chemical reaction in which molecules containing double or triple bonds join together to form a ring-shaped structure. These reactions are important in organic chemistry because they allow complex molecules to be built efficiently. This video focuses on the most well-known type of cycloaddition: the Diels–Alder reaction. About the reaction |
The Diels–Alder reaction involves two molecules: an alkene with one double bond and a diene with two double bonds.
This reaction belongs to the class of pericyclic reactions. It proceeds through a special transition state in which the bonds are not yet fully single or fully double.
The reaction produces a ring-shaped molecule containing one double bond. In the process, two new carbon–carbon bonds are formed between the original molecules.
This is why the Diels–Alder reaction is so valuable: in a single step, it creates multiple carbon–carbon bonds, making it a powerful tool for building new molecules, from medicines to advanced materials.
This is why the Diels–Alder reaction is so valuable: in a single step, it creates multiple carbon–carbon bonds, making it a powerful tool for building new molecules, from medicines to advanced materials.
The Diels–Alder reaction can also occur when the diene and the alkene carry different substituents — additional groups of atoms attached to their carbon frameworks.
A double bond consists of two components: a sigma (σ) bond and a pi (π) bond. The pi bond is formed by overlapping p orbitals — elongated regions of electron density shaped like a three-dimensional figure eight. The Diels–Alder reaction involves three double bonds, which means six p orbitals interact with each other.
Orbitals are not all the same: some participate in bond formation, while others do not. What matters in a reaction is which orbitals can interact and how electron density is redistributed between them. This redistribution of electron density makes bond formation possible.
Stereochemistry also matters — the way molecular parts are oriented in space. When bulky substituents are too close to each other, the reaction does not proceed. Once the molecule rotates so that the large groups are farther apart, bond formation becomes possible.
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